Housing Narrative Lab

The point in time count shows that people everywhere are struggling to pay rent, incomes aren’t keeping up with rising costs and no community has enough affordable places to live. Elected officials are choosing to give tax breaks to billionaires and massive corporations instead of choosing to create housing that is actually affordable. https://lnkd.in/e-m46kfM

All of us at the Lab wish you joyful holidays and a happy new year.

When elected officials and community leaders talk about protecting women, children and families, that means every mother and child. Police in Kentucky ticketed an unhoused pregnant woman in active labor for sleeping outside. What she needed was a safe place to sleep, a home. Instead, the police showed a level of cruelty and disregard that is the opposite of to protect and serve. Arresting and fining people with no money and no home will make homelessness worse by saddling them with debt and a criminal record.

Congratulations to #SanFrancisco tenants and affordable housing advocates for this victory, and thanks for showing us that we CAN shift resources to solve homelessness! 🎉

Introducing our 2024 Housing Narrative Awards winners! 📽️ Best Documentary Film: "Beyond the Bridge: A Solution to Homelessness" 🎬 Best Narrative Film: Netflix's "The Beautiful Game" ✍ Best Op-Ed: Michael Ruggles, Barre Montpelier Times Argus 🤳 Best Social Media Post: Damion Scott of East Bay Housing Organizations 🗒️ Best Reported Story: Rachel Cohen, Vox 🎙️ Best Podcast Episode: Lemonada Media 's No One is Coming to Save Us Podcast Read more about our Housing Narrative Awards and the incredible storytellers who won this year here: https://lnkd.in/gbc7UteV

Jordan Neely needed a home, and he deserved justice. #JordanNeely

This project from ProPublica highlights the objects that people lose during encampment raids, and how the loss of personal items is affecting their ability to get housing. We know encampment raids make homelessness worse. We can solve homelessness by taking a housing and services approach, but throwing out people's personal items helps no one. https://lnkd.in/g5brPj6Q

Last week we had the pleasure of spending a day in NYC with partners who represent a number of organizations working to solve homelessness in New York. We discussed the impact of telling powerful personal stories, and how those stories can lead to tangible solutions to housing instability and homelessness. We really look forward to continuing this work with the NYC Fund to End Youth & Family Homelessness and their amazing grantees.

Call for applications - I ❤️ Home: NYC Story Exchange We're so excited to work with the NYC Fund to End Youth & Family Homelessness on this program for NYC-area storytellers who have experienced unstable housing, eviction or homelessness. Applications are now open for storytellers or content makers, such as artists, photographers, graphic designers, writers, filmmakers, social media creators, and more who share their work publicly and want to tell stories about housing insecurity and homelessness in New York City. The storytelling program will take place from February to December 2025 and each storyteller will receive up to $12,000. For more information about this program and to apply, click here: https://lnkd.in/gRktCRKY Please share this post so we can reach more NYC based content creators and artistic storytellers! And if you know someone who fits the criteria for this program please send this announcement their way.

Reminder! There's still time to register for our exciting upcoming webinar, where we'll discuss the film Beyond the Bridge. Tune in to find out how Beyond the Bridge is shifting perceptions of housing and homelessness, and how stories can create real impact! Register here: https://lnkd.in/gjmhGpTk